Tack-supplying apparatus for nailing machines



Jan. 15, 1929.

C. M. BAGSHAW TACK SUPPLYING APPARATUS FOR NAILING MACHINES Filed July ll, 1924 2 Shebs-Sheel I/fl l! D IIT f Jan. l5, 1929.

C. M. BAGSHAW TACK SUPPLYING APPARATUS FOR NAILING MACHINES- Filed Juiy 11, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES MARTIN BAGSHAVV, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND.

.. TACK-SUPPIJYING APPARATUS FOR MAILING MACHINES.

Application led July 11, 1924, Serial No. 725,358, and in Gre-at Britain July 12, 1923.

. tacks of different lengths are driven to secure a pulled over upper accordingly whether welt orMcKayshoes are being made.

In apparatusheretofore in use for supplying a plurality of tacks of either of two different lengths, to be driven simultaneously, each tack-pot has a plurality of tack raceways and from each raceway a single tack 1s taken 'by means of a plurality or simultaneously operated separators (one separator being located at the end of each raceway) for each'complete 'revolution of the machine.

Such anY apparatus is not only cumbered with considerable amount of Vmechanism essential to its working, but is, further, defective in thatV if a single tack becomes jammed all the separators are thrown out of action and no tacks at all are delivered.

In my vBritish Patent No. 17 5,691, I disclosed an apparatus for supplying a plurality `of tacks from a single tack-pot to be driven simultanenously.` In this apparatus there is but one raceway and a single separator which is actuated a number" of times-according to the number of tacks required to be driven simultaneously.' Not only is this apparatus comparatively simple but should a tack become jammed there lwill be only one tack missing from the work, and this can easily be rectified the workman. As a result of experiments I have succeeded in constructing anv apparatus, to operate to some extent on the same principle as that of my former apparatus which apparatus forms an important feature of my invention and, whereby not only a number of either of two particular lengths of tacks may be supplied, but which apparatus will be efficient for a greater range of tacks, that is tov say not only tacks of a greater range of different lengths but also having Shanks of different thickness, and so that whatever their lengths the tacks will be inverted. It must beborne inmind it is of the utmost importance that complexity of apparatus to attain theseV results should be avoided. v

Additional to the foregoing my invention also comprehends improved means for actuating the separator; improved means `for actuating the tack delivery means; an improved inner raceway; means for maintainmg the inner raceway connected up with a movable outer raceway; means for putting the clearer into and out of operation; and the combination of two or more ofthe :said

means.

In the accompanying drawing a preferred constructional form of my improved apparatus suitable for two lengths or sizes of tacks is diagrammatically illustrated, Fig. 1 being a side elevation, Fig. 2 a front view of the apparatus, Fig. f3 a plan view of a detail to be referred to, Fig. 4: a section through the hoppers showing in more detail the raceway construction, and Fig.` 5 the raceways leading from the hoppers.

In said drawing F denotes a frame of suitable form which carries two rotary tack-pots 8, 9 both of which are secured on a shaft 10 to which rotary motion is imparted by a worm gear 11 von a shaft 12 which carries a driving pulley 13.

Mounting both tack-drums on one shaft so that both are continuously rotated is much more simple and generally eflicient-especially having regard to the improvements hereinafter to be described-than to mount them on separate shafts and provide clutch mechanism whereby the desired tack-drum will be put in gear and the other out of gear with the driving mechanism. y

Supported by t-he machine frame and pivoted on a pin 14 that is located as near as conveniently possible to and `midway of the drums 8 and 9 is an inclined raceway block 15 thatl is provided with two converging raceways 16, 17, one for each tack-drum. At the lower end of the raceway block is a separator 18 that is to be reciprocated as will be described and with which either of the raceways 16, 17, may be connected up.

IVithin each tack drum there is the usual raceway 2O (21) but in accordance with my invention the raceway is supported so asV to be movable in the longitudinal direction (for instance by being supported on a slidewa and they respectively connected liy springs 22, 23, with the outer raceways 16, 17, so that the said inner and outer raceways are at all times maintained in contact and consequently there is not at any time space between them wherein, as heretofore has been the case, tacks may become jammed.

Each inner raceway may have the usual clearer 24 carried on a rock shaft 25 on which is mounted a sort of collar 26 having a lug` 31 projecting from it with which the cam blocks 82 on the tack-drum contact to rock the clearer as is well understood.

In accordance with my invention only one of the clearers is to be in operation at any time, and for this purpose the clearers are mounted on separate shafts 25 and 50, and means are provided whereby the workman may throw into operation the particular clearer that is required to be active and throw out of operation the other clearer.

In order that the operator shall not require to exercise special care to put into operation the appropriate or relevant clearery and to throw out of action the clearer that it not, for the time being, required, my invention further comprises means whereby the putting into and out of operation of the clearers is effected automaticallj,7 by means that are vdependent for their operation on the throwing into communication with the separat-or any one' or other of the raceways 16. 17 according to the length or size of tacks it is intended to employ.

To this end I provideby way of exam-- i ple-the following mechanism:

. 34 through an angle of 180 degrees.

Also attached tothe stud is an eccentric 85,

the strap 86 of which has a stem 37, having at its free end an eye or collar to engage a stud V88 0n the lower face. of the raceway block 15, the arrangement being such that when the hand lever 38 is in the position, shown in full lines in Fig. 8, the raceway 16 is in communication with the separator 18,

whereas when it is in the position shown in broken lines the raceway 17 is in such communication. l

Additional to the eccentric 35, there is secured to the stud 34 an eccentric 89 the strap 40 of which has a link 41 that is connected to the free end of a lever 42 mounted on a suitably-supported shaft 43. Said shaft also carries a lever or crank 44 the free end of which is connected by a link 45 to a pin 46 vided with set screws 51 that bear on the upper faces of the lugs 27 of the respective clear-ers (and by which the clearers and lugs 31 may be Aadjusted as may be required) the arrangement being such that when the workman changes the positions of the raceways 16, 17, as described, the mechanism just described will operate so that when the raceway 17 is connected up with the separator the right hand end of the rocking' bar 47 will be raised and consequently the lug; 81 of the clearer in the tack-pot 9 will be thrown into the path of operation of the cam blocks 82 on that tack-pot, whereas t-he opposite or left h and end ofthe rocking bar will be depressed and by the action of the set screw 51 on the lug' 27. the lug' 81 of the clearer in the tack-pot 8 will be removed out of the path of operation of the cam blocks on that drum. @bviousl'r7 when the other raceway is moved into communication with the separator 18 the clearer that has been in operation will be rendered inactive whilst the other will be put into operation.

The tacks separated off enter a race-,way 19 in a raeeway block 57 that is at a much greater inclination than the raceways 16, 17, so that the descent ofthe tacks will be accelerated.

ln the apparatus illustrated by way of example, provision is made to deliver live tacks to a tack machine--for example a pullingover machine-in rapid succession from one or other of the raceways and for this purpose the apparatus includes the following mechanism which in the main is similar to that described in my former patent referred to, that is to say, the shaft 12 carries a chain wheel 64 and a chain 65 passes over this and over another chain wheel 66 mounted on a suitably supported shaft 67.

Gn said shaft is a disc 68 having five teeth or projections 69 all of which project an equal distance -from the airis of the shaft. Mounted on a spindle 72 is a lever 71 that carries on one part a. roll and on another part a block 73. and the separator 18 is carried by a U-shaped part 76 which is fixed on a spin lle 74 which is adapted to be reciprocated in bearings 75, 75, a spring` being providedfor instance within the housing 77-to tend to maintain the spindle 74 (and the separator 18) in the ext-reine right hand position 2). As the shaft 67 rotates the successive five teeth 69 will move the separator to the left whereas the spring will return the parts' to normal position. By these means live tacks will be divided olf in comparatively rapid succession.

rllhese tacks slide down the raceway 19 and are to be received in flexible tubes 58, 59, 60, 61, and 62, and by these conducted to the appropriate tack driving' devices of a pullingover machine, but before entering` the sai/d flexible tubes it is desirable to invert the tacks because in modern practice pulling-over machines carry the shoe sole down and thus relill) llt) quire the tacksfto be drivenupwardl'y into the work as is well understood.

In order to present'theflexible tubes successively to the raceway, 19'soas1to receive the tive tacks asthese aresuccessively'separated I provide on the shaft 67`a`ca1n disc 80liaving five cam surfaces 8l, 82, 83, 84, 8-5,^which are at progressively greater.'Y distances from the axis of rotation'of-'the shaft 67C On the spindie 72 I also mounta two-armed lever 87 one arm 86 of which-carries a camroll to be acted on bythe cam surfaces referred to and the other arm 87,' of'whi'ch'engages a block that is provided with a stud 88 on a horizontally slidable bai-'63I to which-latter'theend of the flexible tubes58'to (52am-connected, the arrangement being suchethat as the shaft` 67 rotates the cam 8O willintermittentlymove'the bar 63 towards the leftand put the tubes .58 to 62; successively' nr communication with the raceway 19, so thatthey'will receive'the tacks previously separated y aftertravelling` the raceway 19;

As various lengths of tacks have to be dealt with, as already stated, I proifide-simple means for invertingt-hese and the means comprise threestud`s or pins 52, 53, and 54, which are located atv progressively different distances from the surface of the raceway 19. If short tacks areybeingsupplied the pin 54 will' be en'gage'd'byV the-tacks as they travel down the racewayf and this'. will' suliice to bring about their inversionv as isv wellv understood'. If, however, lon-g tacks are-being used,

`the pin 54 wouldistrike'tlie shankof'thev stud too high up andthe-inversion wouldfnotibe or not always be brought about'. Il therefore provide the `stud 52 which isat a muchlgreater distance from the surface of'the raceway 119 and will therefore engage ther` nail or tack near the endof its shank and thus-causait to be tilted, the next pinA 53. beingnearer the surface ofthe raceway will cause afurther tilting of the nai'l untilL at' lastzthestud; 54 is encounteredwhen,the nail: will he completely inverted'.

By this simple device a difliculty which has long been experienced, that is to say to invert tacks varying considerably in length without the use of complicated mechanism, is completely met.

Although I have described a constructional form of my invention which is adapted to deal with two kinds of tacks I wish it to be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto.

l. An apparatus for transferring tacks comprising a plurality of rotary tack pots, means to rotate said tack pots, a separator, raceways leading from said tack pots to said separator and adapted for alternate co-operation therewith, means to vibrate said separator, and means to engage short tacks at their ends only and longer tacks first at their ends and subsequently at theirshanks to effect the inversion of said tacks.

2i InV an apparatus for transferring tacks, incombination, two continuously rotating tack pots, a cam block on each tack pot, a racewayand a clearer within each tack pot, and' means for operatively connecting either cam block with its respective clearer and simultaneously throwing out of act-ion the clearer within the other tack pot.

' 3. An apparatus for transferring tacks comprising a plurality of rotary tack pots, means to rotate said tack pots, a separator, raceways leading from said tack pots to said separator and adapted'for alternate co-operation therewith, and means for actuating said"A separator a plurality of times during each cylcle of operation of the machine.

4. An. apparatus for transferring tacks, having in combination, al plurality of continuously` rotating tack pots. a raceway and a clearer within each tack pot, said clearers being-supported to swing about a pivot, means onk each of saidtack pot for imparting movenient to its respective clearer, a separator, raceways leading from said tack pots to said separator and adapted for alternate co-operation therewith, and means whereby the movement of the raceways throws a clearer into and another clearer out of action.

5. An apparatus for transferring tacks comprising a plurality of constantly rotating tack pots, a plurality of cams on each tack pot and'rotating therewith, a clearermonnted for rocking'movement within each tack pot and. adapted for actuation by said cams, a separator, pivoted raceways leading from said tack pots to said separator and adapted for' alternate co-operation therewith, and

means whereby the movement of the racei ways brings a clearer within and removes anotherfrom the sphere of operation of said cams.

6. An apparatus for transferring tacks comprising a plurality of constantly rotating tack' pots, a separator, raceways slidably supported within said tack pot-s, other raceways located outside of said tack pots and movable with respect to said tack pots and the separator, and yielding connections between the raceways to hold the slidable raceways normally in engagement with the ends of the outer raceways.

7. In an apparatus for transferring tacks, a plurality of rotary tack-pots, pivoted raceways leading from said tack-pots, raceways slidable within the tack-pots, and means for holding said slidable raceways in engagement with the ends of the pivoted raceways.

8. An apparatus for transferring tacks comprising a plurality of constantly rotating tack pots, pivoted raceways leading from said tack pots, raceways slidable within the tack pots, and yielding connections between the pivoted and the slidable raceways.

lit)

9. An apparatus for transferring tacks having in combination two rotary tack-pots, means to rotate said tack pots, a separator, raceways leading from said tack pots to the separator and adapted for alternate co-opcration therewith, a plurality of nail receiving pockets, and means for imparting a plurality of movements to said separator and said pockets during each cycle of operation of the machine.

10. In an apparatus for transferring tacks having in combination two rotary tack-pots, a pivoted raceway leading from each tackpot, a separator, means to put either raceway and the separator into active communication, a driven shaft, and a cam mounted on said shaft for actuating the separator a plurality of times during one rotation of said shaft.

11. In an apparatus for transferring tacks having in combination two rotary tack pots, a slidable raceway and a clearer within each tack pot, a pivoted raceway leading from each tack pot, a separator, means to actuate thefseparator, a plurality of tack receiving flexible tubes, and'means for presenting said tubes successively in a tack receiving position.

12. In an apparatus for transferring tacks, two constantly rotating tack-pots, a slidable raceway and a clearer within each tack-pot, mechanism to actuate the clearers, a member adapted for rocking movement and having two raceways therein adapted to communicate respectively with the inner raceways, means to rock said member to render operative the appropriate raceway therein, and connections between said means and mecha- 'nism to render operative the appropriate ers, a pivoted raceway leading from and arranged for rocking movement relatively to each tack-pot, a separator, means to put either raceway in active communication with the separator and simultaneously bring about the actuation of one and throw out of operation the other clearer.

14. An apparatus for transferring tacks comprising a plurality of constantly rotating tack pots, a separator, raceways arranged for rocking movement relatively to and leading from said tack pots to said separator and adapted for alternate `co-operation with said separator, a cam to move said raceways, a clearer for each raceway, means to actuate said clearers, and a second cam to control said clearers.

15. An apparatus for transferring tacks comprising a plurality of rotary tack pots, means to rotate said tack pots, a separator, raceways leading from said tack pots to said separator and adapted for alternate co-operation therewith, means to reverse the tacks separated, and a series of pockets adapted to receive successively said tacks.

16. An apparatus for transferring tacks comprising a plurality of rotary tack pots, means to rotate said tack pots, a separator, movable raceways leading from said tack pots to said separator and adapted for alternate co-operation therewith, a fixed raceway to receive the tacks when separated, a series of tack receiving pockets, and means to put said pockets successively in tack receiving position with said fixed raceway.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16 in which the tack receiving pockets are moved by successive steps to receive the tacks from said fixed raceway.

1,8. In an apparatus for transferring tacks, a tack raceway inclined to the horizontal, and a plurality of studs located at progressively different distances from the surface of the raceway for progressively tilting the tacks whilst travelling down said raceway.

CHARLES MARTIN BAGSI-IAW. 

